The Stiltskin Chronicles: Storybrooke
by MasterQuill7
Summary: My long awaited sequel to Dark Love. 28 years after the dark curse is cast, two strangers arrive in Storybrooke and turn the town upside down.


It was cold; a dark November night, rain began to sprinkle and dampen the streets of the town of Storybrooke, Maine. Everyone was asleep, the streets were empty; the dense fog in the air made it difficult for anyone to see. A pair of headlights burned brightly, illuminating the whole block in an intense light. The door opened, a pair of feet wrapped in leather men's dress shoes stepped out of the car and walked around to the passenger side. He pulled out a car seat with newborn sleeping baby inside. He carefully closed the passenger door, hoping not to wake the baby. He approached the front door of a large golden house with a forest green trim. It was huge, the closets thing to a mansion this town will ever see. The stranger placed the sleeping baby on the doorstep, and tucked a folded note in the side. The stranger removed his hood to reveal, Flynn Rider, his eyes chocolate brown, his ears normal, and his black hair much shorter. He smiled down at the baby boy in the car seat.

"Alright, nephew," he whispered. "You're with family now, and that's how it should be. I will return, I promise, but for now, grow and be happy. Until we see each other again," said Flynn before placing a soft kiss on the baby's forehead. He smiled, as the baby coed, gave a cute little yawn, and nestled into his seat. Flynn placed a very large hand on the baby's head, caressed him, then pulled away. He rang the doorbell, then ran over to the running car and sped off.

Adam Gold (Rumple) poked his head out the door. He saw the baby, and retrieved the note from the side. The note simply said:

" _Give this lost boy a home."_

Something about the note resonated in him, though he couldn't put his finger on it. Adam eyed the sleeping baby, then reluctantly took him inside, and placed him on the counter.

 **11 years later…..**

Ruby stumbles out of the back door of Granny's diner with trash bags in each hand; annoyed that her grandmother is making her take out the nasty trash again with her senses, she curses her family name under her breath. She suddenly stops, as she turns to walk back into the diner. She was picking up too distinct smells, both appalling, but unique. She made her way back to the dumpster, sticking her nose in the air, and sniffing. Her nose led her to the space in between the left side of the dumpster and the wall. She heard a _splash_ and looked down at her feet; she had stepped in a puddle, but not a puddle of water, it's distinct red color trickled down the bottom of her shoe, and the smell only confirmed her immediate fear….. blood. She grunted, as she moved the heavy dumpster away from the wall. There behind the dumpster was a decomposing body, male, with a large gunshot wound to his head. Maggots were already eating out his brain. Ruby let out a high-pitched scream, as she covered her mouth and eyes in horror. The back door burst open, and out ran Granny, a short elderly woman with gruff exterior, moving as fast as her elderly legs could carry her, followed by Sheriff Graham, a tall handsome man, young and rugged with innocent eyes.

"Ruby, what is it?" she asked. She followed Ruby terrified gaze, and embraced her when she saw the body. Ruby began to sob uncontrollably into Granny's shoulder. Graham turned around to see a crowd forming behind them.

"Alright, nothing to see here. Back up," he commanded, and the crowd obeyed without question. Despite the fact that Graham was a desirable man by all the women in town, he was very respected amongst the whole town.

 **3 hours later…..**

Graham was questioning Ruby, with his notebook in hand. His eyes scanned his surroundings, searching for any clues to who could have committed this horrible act of violence. Ruby had just finished her answer when:

"Sir, without the proper skills we're unable to determine the time of death, but it's obvious he was shot," said Laura, a young trainee for the SBPD. She brushed away her bangs, and tried to pull them back into her ponytail, but to no avail. Graham smiled warmly at her, a job like this wasn't easy, and he didn't think she should have to look at the body anymore than she needed too.

"It's ok, Laura. Go back to the station. I'll take it from here," said Graham.

Laura nodded, and left through the expanding crowd. _FLASH._ Graham blinked, and turned around to see Sidney Glass, the town's lead reporter taking pictures.

"Mr. Glass. Can I help you?"

"Nope. I got everything I need. These pictures are going to sell me a lot of copies tomorrow. I already have the headline. DUMPSTER MURDER. What secrets wait beneath the trash?" he said with a grin.

"Edgy, creative, and completely inappropriate. At least they'll know it's from you," said Graham, but Sidney seemed to be to wrapped up in his own head to hear him.

"Goodnight to you, Sheriff. You may want to get Gold down here….. before the district attorney shows up," said Sidney as he walked away.

"We don't even have a suspect yet. Gold can't represent someone without a suspect to represent."

"And when did that ever stop the district attorney!" he yelled, as he continued to walk down the alley to his car.

Graham sighed and walked over to the body. He stood over it, and leaned into to study the poor man closer. There was a sparkle in his hand that caught his eye. He slipped on some latex gloves and slowly opened up his hand. Inside was a heart shaped locket with a broken chain. Graham thought it was probably ripped off the perpetrator in the struggle. He examined it closer; there was blood all over it, and it was slightly smashed, making it impossible to open. He took a cloth and wiped off some of the blood, after which he could make out an inscription….. "Ashley."

"Ashley….. Ashley… Ashley Boyd," he muttered to himself. It couldn't be her. He knew Ashley wouldn't hurt a fly, but he couldn't be sure, he had to bring her in for questioning. He pulled out his radio; "Laura… meet me at Ashely Boyd's apartment. She's our suspect." Graham holstered his radio, then pulled out his cell phone, and dialed a number.

Ten minutes away, in a pink colored house, the walls shuttered, and the wooden floors quaked, as the bed in the master bedroom slammed against the wall in a steady rhythm. Lacey French threw her head back and moaned loudly, as her hips moved fluently over Adam Gold's groin. He ran his hand over the space in between her breasts, and stifled his groans with his other hand, as she rode him. This was their nightly hook up; Adam was the town's defense lawyer and local pawnshop owner. There weren't enough murders or high profile crime in the town to need an around the clock defense lawyer, so he kept himself busy as much as he could. He was also owner of the entire town, which means he was the richest man in town, but women or even men weren't exactly falling over themselves to get a date with him. The whole town was scared of him; everyone except Lacey French, the local librarian and occasional researcher for his law firm. Racy Lacey, a woman who loved to drink, loved to walk on the side of darkness, and a libido the size of Europe. Adam sat up, the covers barely covering the connection between their sweaty bodies. Lacey buried her fingers into his long hair, messing it up even more. Adam held her close; he could feel her climax coming along with his own. Nothing but their pleasured groans could be heard throughout the house, Adam growled and flipped them over so that Lacey was on her back, still inside her, he kissed her lips, biting and sucking, letting his tongue brush up against hers. He moved along her jaw, and light kissed her neck, as she moaned and begged him not to stop. She grasped his head firmly and brought him up to kiss him again.

"Keep going," she whispered in his ear.

Adam grinned, and began his slow thrusts that drove her mad. She kissed him again, biting his lip and pulling, then going back into another heated kiss. His thrust slowed down even more, but became that much more firm. Belle yelled as he hit that spot inside her each time. She clawed at his back. Leaving three distinct marks on each side. Adam groaned, and laughed at her eagerness. The sex was always this good, and he wondered how they could do it every day of the week, and not lose the spark between them, but there was no love there, only desire. Lacey didn't like committed relationships, it wasn't her, and Adam respected that. He was the same way; he never had time for a wife waiting for him at home, it was drama he had little time for. Adam gave a few more thrusts and hit his orgasm along with her. They clutched each other tightly, as the feeling washed over them like a tidal wave. They lie there together, heaving against each other's bodies, both trying to catch their breaths.

"Wow," she sighed..

"Yeah….. wow," he said through labored breaths.

They were both startled, when the loud vibration of Adam's phone woke them out of their post coital bliss. He reached over and flipped it open.

"Hello….. Oh god… where? Alright…. Yes…yes….. I'll meet you at the station," said Adam; he hung up the phone and placed it on the nightstand. He turned to Lacey, and said "Duty calls."

"What kind of case?' asked Lacey.

"Murder. Back of Granny's diner. They've arrested Ashley Boyd."

"The pregnant girl?"

"Yep. An unlikely candidate," he said as he pulled up his pants.

"I thought you didn't like her."

"I don't. I think she's a lying tramp, but a case is case. It's just more money in my pocket," he pulled on his dress shirt, and slowly began to button each button. Lacey looked away, visibly disappointed at his impending departure.

"Hey, listen, I'm going to go meet with Ms. Boyd, and when I come back, how about we see if we can split this head board in two?" he asked with a mischievous grin.

"Ooooo I like that," said Lacey. She kissed him passionately, so much so that Adam almost joined her on the bed again, but he managed to pull away at the last second.

"Be back soon," he said, and left Lacey alone in the, now cold, bed.

Adam arrived at the station; Graham greeted him at the door.

"Mr. Gold," he said cheerfully. "Thank you for coming, especially since it's so late. I hope I didn't pull you out of anything important," said Graham.

Adam raised an eyebrow, as his mouth curved into a tiny smile. He had to laugh at the seemingly inappropriate setup; technically Graham did pull him out of something, or in his case, someone.

"No, not at all, Sheriff. Where is Ms. Boyd?"

"Just in here, sir," said Graham as he opened the door to the interrogation room; Adam stepped inside. Graham closed the door behind them, and Adam sat down in the empty chair across from Ashely. He placed his briefcase on the table, and pulled out a packet of documents, then slid them across the table to Ashely. She picked them up, and flipped through them, then neatly placed them on the table.

"What are these?" she asked.

"Contract," said Gold. "I need you to sign them, so that I can represent you in court."

"But I'm innocent," she said with wide tearful eyes.

"They don't know that, I don't know that, and I don't care. This is just business for me. I'm in it to win."

"How can you be my lawyer if you don't believe in my innocence?" she asked.

"Simple, dearie, the color of green. That is my motivation. I don't care if my client is innocent or guilty, I will get the verdict they want. Because I'm that damn good. Now are you going to shut up and sign the papers so we can get to work, or are you going to keep giving me morality lectures?" Rumple never liked Ashley, he never knew why; he felt that he had shared some kind of past with her, which was impossible considering that they hardly ever interacted for as long as they could remember. Something about her rubbed him the wrong way.

"Do you have a pen?" she asked.

Rumple reached into his inside jacket pocket and pulled out a rather expensive looking pen. Lacey had bought it for him for Christmas a few years ago. Ashely quickly signed the papers and slid them back over to Gold, who stuffed them back into his briefcase.

"Your hearing is in two days. I will see you tomorrow to discuss the case and my defense strategy. Sleep well, Ms. Boyd," he said before pounding on the door to let him out. Graham bowed his goodnight, and Adam Gold turned on his heel and left the station.

The next morning, miles away from the town of Storybrooke, a motorcycle roared over the line, pass the sign, which read "Now Entering Storybrooke." A man, large build, muscular, wearing a leather jacket, and bandanna over his face, a black helmet and large goggles rode down the street; the thunderous roar of his pure white motorcycle echoing through the surrounding forest. He soon found himself on Main Street in the middle of the surrounding town; the inhabitants flashing funny looks his way, as he rode pass. The stranger parked his bike in front of Granny's Diner, the caution tape, and Sheriff Graham still hovering over the crime scene. The stranger takes his helmet and goggles off, then pulls down his bandanna under his chin, revealing himself to be Flynn Rider, but not the same look he had in the Enchanted Forest. His hair was much shorter, and his eyes were dark brown, instead of the chilling aqua green he was known for, and his ears looked like normal human ears instead of the usual pointy. He looked around, the people were still looking at him without really looking at him. He could hear the whispers, as they tried to steal glances, but Flynn was never that oblivious, and knew people didn't come here often. He entered the diner, and was treated to the same looks he received outside. It was more awkward for him than anything else. A couple sitting in the corner vacated the booth and the diner out of fear, but Flynn just shrugged and sat down. They left an old newspaper there, which wasn't filled with real news, not like he was accustomed to during his time in New York City and London. He eagerly flipped through the pages hoping to find some hint of where his family might be. Then on page 10, there was his brother, Rumple's, picture underneath the headline:

"Adam Gold vs the District Attorney"

He hadn't changed a bit, not even the stern look in the picture. Flynn was relieved, with all the conflicting personalities in the town; it was a comfort to know that his brother's was not that different from when he last saw him. Though he didn't know about Belle; she had to be here. He skimmed through the paper again, but nothing to event hint at Belle, nor was there a picture, but he didn't have to wait long, as she came bursting through the front door of the diner. Though Flynn could hardly recognize her, she wore too much make up, her hair was tied into a ponytail, and her skirt was way too short for the Belle he knew. He watched her whisper something to the old woman behind the counter, who then left to go back into the kitchen. A dark haired beauty dressed similar to Belle, but more revealing walked up to his booth with a pencil and pad.

"What can I get you," she said with a bright red smile.

Flynn looked at her, then at he name tag, which read "Ruby", then he looked back at Belle, who was waiting patiently at the counter.

"Yeah, cup of coffee," said Flynn.

"How do you like it?" asked Ruby.

Flynn was distracted, and several awkward moments went by before he realized she had asked or said anything.

"I'm sorry?" He leaned in closer.

"How do you like your coffee?" she repeated.

"Oh….Uh… Two sugars, don't go easy on the cream."

Ruby wrote the simple instructions down, and smiled at him. "Coming right up," she said, as she turned to walk away. Flynn's gaze still rested heavily on Belle at the counter. Her back was to him, and her butt stuck out enough to catch the eye of any man walking by, but the way she did made it seem like it was intentional. This was definitely not the Belle he knew. And while his brother still retained his personality, it seemed that Belle was not as fortunate. Ruby stopped; Flynn saw her walking towards him in the corner of his eye.

"Um…. Sir? Not to be rude, or tell you what to do, but can I offer you some advice? I notice you were, and still are staring at my friend, Lacey, over there…"

Lacey? He thought it was peculiar name, but certainly fitting for this new personality.

She continued, "She's a firecracker, no doubt, but I'm not sure her boyfriend would like it so much."

"Boyfriend? And who would that be?" asked Flynn, hoping for the right answer.

"Mr. Gold-Adam Gold. He owns the town. He also owns the pawn shop across the street and he's the town lawyer."

"A man of many talents, I see," said Flynn. He was relieved to hear that Belle was not shacked up with a stranger, but even more so now, he knew he had to convince Rumple to keep him close. The curse was destined to break soon, and Flynn vowed to do everything he could to make sure that it did break. "Thank you, Miss. I'll focus my gaze elsewhere." Ruby smiled, and walked back to the kitchen to get his coffee. Granny brought out a huge doggy bag from the kitchen and handed it to Belle, who gave her money in return. Belle smiled, and walked out, not even glancing in Flynn's direction. Ruby returned with his coffee a few minutes later, and with that came the Evil Queen, Regina. She sat across from him, as he took the spoon and began to stir his coffee. She didn't say anything, only studied him for several minutes, her dark eyes squinting and piercing his whole being.

"Who are you? I 've never seen you here before," she said with squinted eyes.

"Perhaps the town is bigger than you think. I typically stay in the woods and keep to myself."

Regina continued to study him, and Flynn swallowed hard knowing that she wasn't buying it. Still, she said nothing, just left the booth and walked out the door. He watched her through the wide front window. She stormed across the street, the traffic yielded to her; no doubt she ran the town, despite his brother owning it. She entered a rather damp and dark looking shack, straight from knockturn alley. Flynn suddenly realized he was more of a fan of those Harry Potter books, than he thought. The sign above the door said "Mr. Gold Pawnbroker and Antique Dealer." He couldn't help but chuckle at how easily he managed to get under Regina's skin. He didn't think she knew too much about him, though he did think she remembered him from the Enchanted Forest. He thought, now, she must be interrogating Rumple to find out who he was. Flynn waved Ruby over, and she handed him the check. He dropped a few dollars on the table, and left the diner with all eyes on him. He stood on the stoop, and surveyed the town. He knew he had to do something to keep himself preoccupied while Regina was meeting with Rumple. A little ways down, he spotted an old clock tower with a sign that read, "Storybrooke Library." He wondered if not all had changed with Belle; the Belle he knew would nearly faint at the prospect of being a librarian, but as he got closer, he could the windows bordered up. He grabbed the door handle, and pulled as hard as he could, but no good, it was locked tight.

"The mayor closed it down a year ago," said a voice behind him.

Flynn spun around to see a small scruffy haired boy beaming up at him. There was something about this boy that Flynn couldn't put his finger on; he was special, in so many unique ways. Flynn could feel it, even if this boy couldn't.

"Who are you?" asked Flynn.

"My name 's Henry," he said, as he extended his hand.

"Flynn," he said, shaking the smaller hand. "So, Henry, can you tell me why this was closed down?"

"Well-"

"HENRY!" said a shrill voice from across the street.

Flynn and Henry turned to see Regina jogging towards them.

"Uh oh," muttered Henry. Flynn looked at him from the corner of his eye, and then focused on Regina. She immediately pulled Henry behind her, as if to shield him from a vicious stranger.

"Why are you talking to my son?" she asked with fire in her eyes.

Even though Flynn knew he would win whatever battle would come of their interactions, he didn't want to draw too much attention to himself, so he decided to walk away. Gold was who he wanted to see anyway, and now that he was finally free, he knew he had to act now before there were any more distractions.

"No worries, Madame Mayor, we were just making friendly conversation.," he made a gesture as if he were tipping his hat to the young boy. "Good to meet you both. Mayor Mills… Henry…. Until next time."

Flynn left a bewildered Regina in front of the library, and watched as Flynn walked across the street and entered Gold's shop.

Flynn entered the shop and froze, after 28 years he was reunited with his brother once more, and it took all the strength he had to keep himself from leaping across the room and embracing him. He was darker now than he had ever been. The lighting in the shop was dim, and he wore an all black suit. He was shuffling index cards, when he finally looked up at him through his dark cold eyes. They stared at each other for a few awkward moments until Gold finally said:

"Can I help you?"

"Oh, yes-" he said, snapping himself out of his trance. "You're Mr. Gold, right?"

"Last time I checked."

Flynn quickly approached the counter, and he noticed Gold take half a step back. Flynn had forgotten that there was no magic here, so it would make sense that he would be weary of a total stranger entering his shop.

"My name's Flynn, Flynn….. Vane. Forgive me for the intrusion, but I was hoping that I could possibly ask you for a job."

"Here at the shop? Because there isn't much to do, it's always pretty quiet around here," said Rumple with a small sigh.

"No, not here. At your firm."

"Why the firm?"

"I'm a private investigator," said Flynn, handing Gold his badge. "I know you don't have one."

'The question is, why would I need one? If you're talking about research, my associate already does that."

"No not that. You need a researcher anyway, and I'm glad you have one, but what I do is not that kind of research. I act as a detective of sorts, finding new clues and investigating cases in order to find new information that may help you win."

Gold began to stroke the light stubble on is chin. Flynn watched him think hard, he could tell Gold was weighing all the possible pros and cons in his mind.

"Where did you obtain your licensee?" asked Rumple.

"New York, sir."

"You're far from home."

"I'm a lot closer than you think, Mr. Gold," said Flynn with a smirk. His brother was always his home, and that never changed, even after all these years.

Gold handed him back the badge. "We don't have many cases around here, that's why I keep this shop as well," he said gesturing to all the different knickknacks around the store.

"Well, I hear that you also own the town…. You must have rent to collect, and knowing humans as they are, some of them are probably late on that rent. I could help you collect it. Or if you need an extra guy when you're making deals, give some advice… I have a degree in business," said Flynn. He wasn't sure if Rumple would buy it. Of course, he didn't have a degree, only a few centuries worth of military experience, ruling over two different kingdoms, and captaining a ship of his own.

Rumple looked down at his fingers as they tapped against the glass cabinets. Flynn shoved his hands in his pockets and waited for him to say something.

"Very well," said Rumple with a soft sigh. "You can start tomorrow, bright and early, Mr. Vane." Flynn tried hard to contain his smile, but failed miserably. "Are you aware of the murder that happened last night?" he asked.

"I saw a glimpse of it in the paper, but I didn't read the whole thing."

"Get the case file for the sheriff down the street," said Gold. He smiled and shook Flynn's hand.

"I won't let you down."

They smiled at each other; Flynn turned on his heel and left Gold alone to his thoughts.

Regina knocked on the wooden door that read "District Attorney."

"Come in!" shouted a gruff voice from behind the door.

Regina entered to see Albert Spencer sitting at this desk, and jotting down notes with his caseload beside him. He looked up at her over his glasses, which sat on the tip of his nose.

"Madame Mayor…."

"Mr. Spencer," said Regina with an evil smile.

"What can I do for you?"

Regina slithered into the leather chair in front of his desk.

"What is your progress with Ms. Boyd's case?"

He smiled, took off his glasses, and sat back in his seat. "Why would you want to know?"

Regina flashed her trademark evil smile. "You know why."

He paused to collect his thoughts, and Regina began to grow impatient with the suspense.

"Well you had Mr. Glass plant the evidence, and there is no evidence that it was planted, so I would say your case is pretty good, but Gold…. He could be a problem. You have an interesting relationship with him. I suggest that you convince him not to take the case before we go to court."

"I'll deal with Gold, Mr. Spencer. You just make sure your case can convince a jury without a shadow of a doubt."

Graham surveyed the crime scene intensely, studying every inch of every surface in the small area. He kneeled down, and shined a forensic blue flashlight over the area, looking for blood that could possibly lead to someone. He almost didn't notice the stranger in the corner doing the same thing.

"Excuse me, who are you? This is a restricted area," said Graham, trying to assert his authority, but seeing that it was hardly working, as Flynn moved about his business.

"Oh, my apologies, Sherriff. My name is Flynn Vane, Private Investigator. I work for Mr. Gold's firm," said Flynn extending his hand, which Graham cautiously took.

"Really? When did you start working for Mr. Gold?"

"Yesterday,. Yeah, I'm just here to analyze the crime scene and make sure there isn't any evidence that you missed. No offense, but there are only three of you."

Graham opened his mouth to respond, but Flynn just walked away to continue his work. He brushed a strand of black hair from his face, and shined a flashlight on a corner of the dumpster. He took out a magnifying glass, and held it close, spotting a small dark hair there. Could be the victim's, and it was too dark to be Boyd's. He plucked small hair from the dumpster and placed it in a plastic bag. Shining his light towards the ground where the victim was found, he spotted an unmarked shoe print, clearly too big to be Ashley's. There were other footprints around matching Ashley's size, marked by Graham's team, but this one was a single print, no matching one around. The theory that Ashley had been framed was becoming more and more likely.

Gold stood alone in his shop, pouring over information regarding the case. The door opened, and the bell chimed. Lacey strode in with a bottle of wine, two glasses, and a mischievous smile. Gold couldn't help but smile himself; he knew what all this meant. She had a long day, and she wanted this night to end in two ways fully inebriated and all sexual desires fulfilled. She walked around the counter and planted a soft kiss on his cheek. He leaned in slightly, so that she wouldn't pull away, and was disappointed when she did to pour the wine in the glasses. She filled them both up to the brim, and Gold cringed. He never liked Lacey's fondness of alcohol, mostly because he didn't trust her when she was stone drunk. She was a magnet to creeps everywhere in town, and he viciously beat anyone who even looked at her twice. He could tell she liked his slight possessiveness, because every time he beat someone within an inch of their life, hard sex followed. He wrapped one arm around her, then took a sip of his wine. He placed it down, then focused back on the case notes. He saw Lacey glance over some of the photographs and notes he had made.

"Do you think she did it?" asked Lacey.

"Honestly… No. I think this evidence was planted…. Planted by an incompetent fool. There are too many inconsistencies with the evidence, plus it was confirmed that she wasn't there at the time of the murder."

"But her DNA was all over the crime scene?"

"Yes, a strand of hair, blood drops, fingernails, skin; any type of DNA possible was there. To me, this is too easy," said Gold, as he picked up the DNA report.

Lacey studied him closely, he was beginning to get that look, that same look he always got when he poured over a case, and when he poured over a case, nothing else existed. He was fully committed, and those were the times she felt the loneliest. She gently took the piece of paper from him, snapping him out of whatever trance he was in, and placed a soft kiss on his lips. He looked at her, a little confused; Lacey was never one to be romantic. Sure, they were dating, but as far as he knew there wasn't much love there. A fondness for working together, sure, but not love, and the sex was incredible, but much like there time together, the sex was nothing more than sex, no making love, just sex. And it was times like these, that made Gold weary of Lacey, because when she had these turns in her personality, she was unpredictable, and that scared him the most about people. She wrapped her arms around his neck, and kissed him again, but the kisses became more heated, but they pushed each other apart when the shop door opened, and Flynn waltzed up the counter, with a light vanilla folder. He threw it down on the counter with pride and satisfaction; he only just now noticed the same uncomfortable look they both shared.

"Sorry, did I interrupt something?" asked Flynn.

NO not at all," said Gold. Belle's look to him voiced her disagreement, but she said nothing, only glanced at the folder Flynn had set down. "What did you find?" asked Gold.

"Wait, I'm sorry, who is this person?" asked Lacey, pointing at Flynn with one hand, and the other resting on her hip. Her posture and her voice reflected her attitude, something Flynn knew Belle severely lacked, and this Lacey avoided his gaze.

"I'm sorry, Lacey French, this is-"

"Flynn Vane, at your service ma'am," said Flynn, happily shaking her hand.

"Flynn is going to be working as a private investigator for our firm from now on," said Rumple.

Lacey's eyes went wide with surprise, and somewhat anger that Gold had not discussed it with her first, but Flynn moved past it and opened the folder, laying the contents out on the counter. Crime scene photos, telephone records, CCTV footage, DNA reports, letters from the victim; Gold picked up each item, and examined it closely, but found nothing that they didn't already know.

"What is this?" he asked.

"The evidence, but I want you to look at the CCTV footage and the DNA reports," said Flynn.

"What about them?" asked Lacey, as she picked up a crime scene photo, and immediately put it down, sickened by the mutilated body.

"Simple, I collected a few strands of hair from the crime scene myself, and paid a lab assistant to run tests on them, and the few hairs I took from Ashley Boyd in her jail cell. They aren't a match. Nor do they match the victim's."

"DNA report says they match Miss Boyd," said Gold, holding up the DNA packet.

"Yes. What does that tell you?" asked Flynn, guiding Gold through his thought process, as if he were a deep thinking child.

"Wait. You think the report is falsified?"

"Yes, I do. Do you know how easy it was for me pay off the lab assistant? Someone else could have just as easily paid someone to falsify that report."

This is a good case, but the hair could be anybody's…. doesn't necessarily prove that she didn't do it," said Rumple.

"True, but it's not about that, finding these strands of hair will create…"

"…Reasonable doubt," said Gold with a mischievous smile.

Gold looked at Belle, and her eyes reflected the same concerns he had. The repercussions of accusing the hospital and possibly the town council and the mayor herself of corruption could destroy their careers in law forever. Gold thought about it for a few more moments. He began to scratch at the stubble growing on his face, evidence of his sleepless nights and fast days pouring over the case notes. He ran his fingers through his long silky hair, and sighed.

"Alright, get me proof that the document was forged, and we have a case. The original lab report should help if there was one. We don't move a moment sooner, is that clear?"

"Aye," said Flynn.

"Good work today, Mr. Vane. We have a long road ahead of us," said Rumple as he put the documents back in the vanilla folder, and handed it to Flynn.

"I look forward to it, sir. I didn't mean to disturb your night with Ms. French. Goodnight to the both of you," said Flynn, gesturing to tip his hat, and growing quite red when he realized he wasn't wearing one.

"Goodnight," said Gold, smiling a little.

Flynn shut the door behind him; the bell chimed as it banged against the door. Gold felt an overwhelming sense of relief. Flynn was really on to something, and this could be over just as fast as it began. He looked at Lacey, who was fiddling with the gold bracelet he had specially made for her. He always noticed she played with it when she was nervous or upset, the same thing he did with his ring.

"What?" he asked.

"Nothing, she said, shrugging her shoulders.

"It's not nothing. What is it?" asked Gold again, in a slightly harsher tone.

" I don't trust him. I don't trust this Flynn Vane."

"Neither do I, but he's come through for us in ways we couldn't possibly imagine and it's only been a day. I say we give him a chance, but keep a close eye on him," said Gold, as he wrapped an arm around her.

"Agreed." She said pulling away. "Now I believe we were in the middle of something before he barged in here."

"Were we?" he aske with a sly smile.

"Mmhmm," Belle closed the gap between them, and pressed their lips together. It was like fire radiating throughout their bodies; Gold wanted it. He hobbled over to lock the door, then came back around the register. He shoved the contents on the glass counter onto the floor. He picked her up and sat her on the counter instead. Gold kissed her more passionately, the blood thumping in his ears, as their tongues slid together, and danced in their mouths. They broke away to get some air, and pressed their foreheads together. They laughed, and continued kissing and clawing at their clothes. If you didn't know them, you could swear they were madly in love and on their way to the alter.

Flynn mounted his bike and put his helmet on. He glanced at them through the window, and couldn't help but laugh. It was a relief that they had found each other in this hellhole with everyone being so miserable, including the evil queen. He started his bike, and roared down Main Street. His mind wandered, as it always did when he rode his bike. Seeing Gold and Lacey, brought him back to remember his own true love just before the curse hit….

28 years ago….

The purple cloud of magic engulfed everything behind Flynn as he raced towards the Sun Kingdom. He spurred Maximus along, occasionally glancing over his shoulder at the swirling blackness on his heels.

"I don't know how much I can take, sir!" said Maximus.

"We're almost there," Flynn replied, and just as he had said so, he spotted the looming castle in the distance. "I see it! You can do it, Max! Yah!" he shouted.

Maximus neighed and found his burst of energy. He spurred forward, enlarging the distance between them and the destructive curse. A few moments later they were fast approaching the gates. Flynn could here one of the guards announce them.

"It's the prince! Open the gates! Prepare to close it behind him," shouted the guard.

The gates were barely open before Flynn and Maximus tore through, and came to dusty halt Flynn hopped of Max and used all his strength to help the guards push the giant doors closed. They took the large log and slid into place to keep the doors shut. BANG. The curse hit the doors; the wood began to splinter and creak at the sheer force outside. Flynn knew he was running out of time; he had to protect the kingdom. He hoped back onto Maximus's back, and spurred him through the near empty streets. People poked their heads out of windows curiously, wondering what all the fuss was about.

"It's okay! Stay indoors," shouted Flynn as he sped pass. He reached the entrance to the castle; he pulled on Maximus's reigns so hard the enchanted horse almost flipped over backwards.

"Sorry, my friend," said Flynn, as he hoped of his back and handed his reigns to an approaching servant.

He ran as fast as he could into the castle. A few guards greeted him happily, as he made his way to spiral staircase leading up to the roof. He took a few deep breaths and darted up the stairs two at a time. When he reached the roof, Rapunzel, in all her beauty, in her royal pink dress, and her long black braided hair reached her waist, was waiting along with her parents, the King and Queen. She ran into his arms and kissed him. Flynn rubbed her back and smiled.

"Everything is in place. Are you sure this will work?" asked Rapunzel.

"Don't worry. The curse may be strong, but it's not stronger than me."

And with that, Flynn thrusted his hands into the air; a beam of light shot from his palms and into the sky. A dome of transparent light began to engulf the kingdom, nestling it in a swaddling orb of power and protection. Flynn poured every once of power he had into this protection spell and when he was satisfied that the kingdom was safe, he collapsed. Thar last thing he remembered about that day was Rapunzel's fearful eyes, as darkness closed in around her until he remembered no more.


End file.
